Henry Cavill In Talks To Return As Superman, But Not In A 'Man Of Steel' Sequel

Henry Cavill's Man of Steel might fly again. Cavill hasn't played Superman since 2017's Justice League, and there's been some talk that the actor might be done with the role. But a new report indicates Warner Bros. is in talks with Cavill to play Supes once again – but not in a Man of Steel sequel. Instead, the plan is to have Cavill's Superman in other DC-related films.

Deadline has the scoop on Henry Cavill returning as Superman. Per their story, Cavill "could come back in a couple of different ways, not a standalone film." Man of Steel 2 is not in development, and as much as fans might hope for Zack Snyder to make a Justice League sequel now that he's being given the opportunity to finish his Snyder Cut, that's unlikely.

In addition to that, Wonder Woman 1984 is already done filming, as is James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. And there are no plans to have Cavill's Man of Steel pop-up in Matt Reeves' The Batman. So where does that leave Superman? Well, there's a good chance he might appear in Shazam 2, Black Adam, or even Aquaman 2. The character of Superman did pop-up for a super quick cameo at the end of Shazam, but Cavill didn't play the part, and the character's face was never seen.

This overall new approach makes it sound like Warner Bros. is going to make Cavill's Superman the equivalent of Mark Ruffalo's Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a character who appears in other movies while not having a main franchise of his own. That's a bit weird since there's no doubt interest in a new Superman movie.

For now, though, fans who wanted Cavill back in any capacity can breathe a sigh of relief. And maybe the actor will finally have a chance to make the role his own. Other films – Mission: Impossible – Fallout for instance – have demonstrated Cavill can command the screen when working with the right material. And I have no doubt he could make for an iconic, memorable Superman if he's able to move beyond the characterization presented in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League.